Susan Rice looked like top choice. She and Obama are longtime friends and cohorts. They ally in imperial crimes. She matches Clinton's bullying, bluster and arrogance.

Both deplore peace, nonviolence, and social justice. They're pro-war, contemptuous of rule of law principles, and brazenly anti-democratic.

They represent wrong over right. They're war criminals multiple times over. They're indifferent to human suffering. They disgrace America and humanity.

Rice's abrasiveness made more enemies than allies. She gives diplomacy a bad name. She's an embarrassment to legitimate governance. She's one of America's worst ever envoys.

Sticking with her assured a nasty Senate fight. Obama wants it avoided. He's got bigger fish to fry. He's planning full-scale war on Syria. Iran's on his target list. So is Hezbollah in Lebanon.

He plans four more years of war and much more. He and Republicans agreed to destroy social America. They'll do it incrementally over the next decade. Hard won benefits will be eroded and eliminated.

At issue is greater wealth for corporate America and super-rich elites. It's also about permanent imperial wars. America's most disadvantaged and middle class will suffer most.

The nation is being third-worldized. Full-blown tyranny is a hair's breath away. It could arrive any time. It'll violently confront resisters. Imperial rogues tolerate no opposition.

Washington's no different from the rest. Wrapped in the American flag conceals hardline destructive policies.

Kerry is odds on favorite for Secretary of State. He'll sail through Senate confirmation. He's no better than Rice. His less confrontational style hides his imperial agenda.

Clinton wants planning time for 2016. She hopes to be America's first woman president. If successful, she may exceed the worst of Obama. He outdid George Bush. He's got four more years to continue waging war on humanity.

Russia feels the same way about offensive US missiles near its borders.

It's furious about Washington wanting super-weapons. It seeks them for unchallenged global dominance. It wants enough power to bully the rest of the world into submission.

What it plans can't be tolerated. Hopefully it won't be.

Russian and Chinese views on Syria and Iran differ greatly with Western countries. Will either nation or both draw red lines? Will they clearly say full-scale intervention against Syria won't be tolerated?

Will EU countries support US policies they think reckless? The fullness of time alone will have final say on these and other major issues.

Next year could be defining. At stake is whether things will spin violently out of control, or will moderates prevail. It's unclear what's most likely. At this time, hawks have control. Whether they'll keep it remains to be seen.

NNC: Is there any relationship with new State leadership and placing more importance on East Asian foreign policy?

Months ago Obama announced foreign policy emphasis on two major areas - the Middle East and East Asia. More recently, North Africa came more in focus.

Obama may ask Congress for war on terror funding against Mali, Nigeria, and Libya. At issue is solidifying control over regional resources.

Perhaps other regional countries will be targeted. Obama's warmaking appetite is insatiable. It exceeds all his predecessors and then some.

He's already waging multiple direct and proxy wars. His rhetoric about winding them down rings hollow. He wants to make the most of the next four years. He governs like a serial killer. At State, expect Kerry to offer full support.

NNC: What will be Kerry's dominant approach? Will he prioritize soft or hard policies, or perhaps both?

He'll differ from Clinton only in style. His rhetoric may be less hardline. His approach may be softer. He'll avoid operating like Rice.

Her abrasive gives diplomacy a bad name. Winning back friends she alienated may be stressed. Her contempt for sound policy needs rectifying.

Some call her and Clinton war goddesses. They never met conflicts America waged or planned they didn't support. Kerry's much the same. Fundamental policy stays unchanged. Style alone will give false reassurances.

Bipartisan agreement years ago began destroying America's social contract. Safety net protections are being eroded en route to eliminating altogether in their present form.

Bedrock Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and public pensions are threatened. Death by a 1,000 cuts is planned. Both sides of the isle agree. Grand bargain betrayal looms.

Neither party worries about debt or deficits. Saying so is duplicitous doublespeak. Obama, most Democrats, and Republicans want corporate friends and super-rich elites protected.

Obama was hand-picked for what no Republican leader would dare try on his own. Lies repeated ad nauseam claim no alternatives exist.

Safety net cuts are essential, they claim. Ordinary people least able to afford them will be hit hardest. Imagine political leaders tolerating near record levels of poverty, unemployment, homelessness and hunger.

Imagine force-fed austerity when stimulus is needed. Imagine decades of transferring public wealth to bankers, war profiteers, other corporate favorites, and super-rich elites already with too much.

In the 1980s, it was Reaganomics, trickle down, and Thatcherism. In the 1990s, it was shock therapy. Today it's austerity. Duplicitous fiscal cliff doublespeak conceals what's really going on.

Predatory bankers make serial killers look good by comparison. They're more dangerous than standing armies. Their business model is grand theft. It creates crises. It facilitates financial terrorism and debt entrapment.

Bankers make money by stealing it. Doing so fails long-term. Grand theft economic policies don't work. Benefitting America's 1% at the expense of all others assures the worst of times for people most in need.

Both parties agreed to grand bargain betrayal. It won't be pretty when it arrives. Ordinary people will have three choices. They can either suffer, leave or revolt.

Impossible to tolerate pain may become uncontainable rage. People grin and bear it only so long. Fighting back is the only chance for change. Key is mobilizing it to make a difference. Perhaps it's only a matter of time.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.